Ache
by adelicateflower08
Summary: Her body ached for him. She ached to feel those beautifully sculpted arms wrapped around her body, and often wondered what it would be like to be with him. Just once she wanted to know what it would feel like to be desired by a man. Caryl.
1. A Kingdom Of Dreams

**So, this one came to me today and I'm not entirely sure where it's going. I guess we'll see. Here are a few things we'll see in this story.**

***It's definitely all Caryl.**

***It's been a year since the events at Hershel's Farm.**

***Lori and Rick are happily married, and she is expecting their second child. There was no affair with Shane nor is there a Lil' Asskicker.**

***The prison hasn't been found, but it will be at the end.**

***This should be around 10 chapters…give or take.**

***Also, there are mentions of rape. This is your warning.**

***There will be smut. This is your second warning lol.**

**Now that we've cleared all this up, on to the story!**

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**Ache**

It had been a year since the farm had been overrun by the massive herd that had taken Andrea, Shane, Patricia and Jimmy from them. A year since her life had ended when her precious Sophia had come shuffling out of that barn, her eyes void of life. A year of struggling to survive. The house they had been holed up in for the past three months had been deemed no longer safe by Rick and so they had packed up what few belongings they had and headed out.

They were back on the run again.

Back to sleeping on the cold hard ground. Back to starving. The former made worse by the quickly dropping temperatures. Winter was fast approaching in Georgia, and it felt like it was going to be brutal.

Their lives had become an endless vicious cycle, day in and day out. They stopped wherever they could to scavenge for supplies. Moving house to house, car to car, but it wasn't enough. _It was never enough_. Supplies had been scarce and most nights, they went to bed with their stomachs protesting loudly. Sometimes, If they were fortunate enough, Daryl would come traipsing back from the woods carrying rabbits. Those were the good nights.

Carol smiled sadly as she looked around at the ragtag group. They were all huddled together near the fire, desperately trying to get warm, and most of them had paired up, sharing the few blankets they had, and most importantly, their body heat. Rick and Daryl were on patrol, scanning the woods for any threat of walkers, or worse, people. With the way the world was now, people were more of a threat than the walkers.

Since yesterday her body had started to ache and her chest had been feeling tight. She really hoped she wasn't coming down with something, as they really couldn't afford to waste what little medicine they had. Carol shivered as the wind cut through her threadbare sweater. She wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling the garment tighter around her shoulders, trying to fight off the bone chilling cold.

What she wouldn't give for a coat and maybe some insulated boots. The boot's she had on now were a size too big, and they had holes on the bottoms. When it rained her feet would get soaked and she would develop blisters, making it difficult to walk let alone run. It seemed that she was always so cold, and a lot of times wet. But, she trudged on, never saying anything. She never was one to complain.

She had grown to care deeply for these people, and there wasn't anything she wouldn't do for them. She considered them family. That's why she tried her hardest to please them all. She tried not to be a burden to them, and that's exactly what she was. She understood that she was just a tag-along. She was just another mouth to feed, and she wasn't of much use to the group. She had no skills to speak of. She was pretty much useless_._

So she sacrificed and did without a lot of the times. Not that she minded_._ There were others that needed food more than she did. Lori was pregnant with her and Rick's second child, and Carl was a growing boy. It went without saying that they needed food the most. Rick and Daryl, they needed food to keep them strong so they would be able to defend and protect the group. So what if she gave up her portions of food to them? They were vital to the group. They were needed, and they were important. What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

But the one she cared for the most was Daryl. She tried not to hover over him too much, but sometimes she felt like she couldn't control it. She knew that it got on his nerves, but she simply couldn't help it. She had this overwhelming desire to take care of him. Make sure he ate, make sure he had clean clothes, and make sure he hadn't been hurt. It was the nurturer in her she supposed, but most of all it was because she loved him. Her body ached for him. She ached to feel those beautifully sculpted arms wrapped around her body, and often wondered what it would be like to be with him. Just once she wanted to know what it would feel like to be desired by a man. She wanted Daryl to look at her with pure, naked longing.

She snorted under her breath. Lord, but she was dreaming.

A man who was that good looking, would want nothing to do with a woman who looked like her. A woman who was plain…unattractive. She had nothing special to offer a man, let alone a man who looked like Daryl Dixon.

She tried not to let her feelings show for Daryl, but sometimes it was hard. She feared that someone would catch her staring at him too long and start to question her, or worse, Daryl would catch her and become uncomfortable around her. So she kept her head down and only talked when she was talked to.

She stared into the fire and shook her head. There was no use in wishing for things now. She had been plain all of her life and nothing short of a miracle was going to change that. She had even been surprised when Ed had come calling for her. He was the first man to show her attention, and she fell for it hook, line and sinker.

_Ed_.

Her life with him had been a living hell. He had beat her daily with no breaks in between. It had been a constant struggle of trying to survive, not knowing if tomorrow would be the day it happened. _The day that he would finally kill her._

He had control over every aspect in her life. Money, hair, clothes…He had even held her down and shaved her head, forcing her to wear clothes that had been two sizes too big, claiming that her body disgusted him and no man should have to look at it.

Their sex life, if you could call it that, had been something she'd feared from the start. She had never given her consent to Ed. He would just take what he wanted, raping her whenever his body desired release, and when he was through, he would beat her. Beat her for being ugly, beat her for making him do this to her, but most of all, he would beat her for disgusting him.

She had tried to compensate in other ways to make up for her unattractiveness by keeping his house in immaculate order, making sure his dinner was cooked perfectly and on time, ironing and starching his shirts, and most importantly, be a good wife. No one wanted her he had told her. No one ever would. And he had let her know that often.

The only good thing to come from that disaster had been Sophia. Sophia had been a product of rape, but that hadn't mattered to Carol. Sophia had been the most important thing in her life and she had loved her dearly. She had been the only thing to keep her sane. Her whole life she had been fighting to survive it seemed, and she was tired of it.

She sighed as she reached behind her to rummage through the hobo bag that she always carried with her. Inside was her most valued possessions. Hand sanitizer, wet wipes, chapstick, hand lotion, a battery operated flash light, and Judith McNaught's "A Kingdom of Dreams". The last one, a guilty pleasure she'd had in her purse since the virus had started.

Ed hadn't known that she had secretly read romance novels while he was at work. If he had known, he of course would have beaten her. So she had waited until he was at work, and after all of her chores had been done, she would sit down at the kitchen table and devour them. Reading for hours about heroines that, no matter what they looked like or what size they were, they always got their man. And it had given her hope that maybe one day, regardless of her appearance, that someone would love her just as she was.

But, in the end, that had all been a silly pipe dream. It was all make believe. Just something that authors wrote about to make a profit from.

With her book and flashlight beside her, she reached down and gathered up a pile of leaves, getting as close to the fire as she could, and eased her aching body down upon them. She flicked on her light and opened up the book to the last chapter she had been on, and read until her mind was filled with handsome knights and beautiful maidens.

She eventually fell asleep with the light of the fire flickering softly upon her face, and her book clutched tightly in her fingers.

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**Okay, so, Carol obviously has some serious self-esteem and self-worth issues. Luckily for us, we have Daryl Dixon to help her work through all of that. He's going to show her exactly how beautiful she is. ;)**


	2. Dying To Taste Her

Alright, as promised here is Chapter 2! This one will be in Daryl's point of view. Also, if you haven't already, I'm inviting you to read my Jasper Dixon stories **"And The Hunter Was Happy..." **If you have a thing for Dixon Babies, that story is the one for you!

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She was so fuckin' beautiful he thought as he watched the flames from the fire cast shadows upon her delicate features. The light was softly flickering over her face like tiny fingers, reaching up to caress the curve of her cheekbones, and tracing over her slender eyebrows. There was a feeling deep inside of him stirring. One that he wasn't quite familiar with.

_He was jealous._

Jealous because he wanted to be the one stroking her beautiful face. He wanted to be able to reach up and run his fingers through those fluffy silver curls that had recently began to grow out. He wanted to bend down to kiss those pouting lips and sip at her gently. Lips that appeared to be as soft as a blossom. Was her lips as sweet as honey?

_He was dying to taste her._

For the past hour he had been watching her. Watching her as she had stared in to the fire, seemingly lost in thought. She kept herself so guarded that it was sometimes hard to tell what she was thinking or feeling. He had watched as she had smiled a sad smile and then it had vanished. _Gone._ Whatever demons she had in her head had taken over and consumed her.

He watched her as she shivered as a cool breeze swept across their campsite. She pulled her painfully thin sweater tighter around her small frame, hugging her arms around her slender waist.

Damn woman didn't even have as much as a coat to keep her warm. He'd have to see about remedying that tomorrow. If it was the last thing he did, she would be getting a fucking coat.

The woman was completely selfless. She was always the last do anything. The last to get a place to sleep, the last to get clothes, the last to eat, and the last to rest. She had even passed her blanket off to Lori and Carl earlier that night, and now, there she was, sitting on the ground freezing her ass off. Everyone took advantage of her kindness, and it pissed him off to no end.

If he were being completely honest with himself, she was the reason he had stayed after Sophia had died. He had pushed her away time and again, and yet she was resilient. She kept pulling him back into the group. Never giving up on him. Even when he had moved his tent away from the others, she had come after him. Telling him over and over, that he was worthy and that he was good. That he had earned his place in the group. That he was a man of honor.

And she hovered over him. Always making sure that he ate, making sure that he had clean clothes, even though he had told her time and again that he could wash his own fucking clothes, and making sure that he was okay. Sometimes it got on his nerves and he would snap at her. He wasn't used to being cared for, and when she had first started doing it, he hadn't known what to think of it. He looked down in shame, remembering when he had called her a "stupid bitch". She hadn't deserved that.

What bothered him the most was, she seemed okay with it. Like she was used to being called cruel vicious names. She hadn't batted an eye lash at it. She just…accepted it. The look upon her face at the time, even seemed to indicate that she agreed with him. No thanks to Ed Peletier. If the son of a bitch were alive today, Daryl would gladly kill him with his own bare hands.

He looked back over to her and wondered what she was thinking about. What was it that was causing her so much thought? Was it Sophia? Hell, he thought about that little girl every fucking day. She was like a ghost, always there in the back of his mind haunting him. Just another damn thing to add to his long list of failures.

He remembered that day all too well. He remembered the shock he had felt when he saw those skinny little legs stepping out from the darkness of the barn. Her eyes void of any recognition as she had slowly shuffled towards them. He had been too late to save her. He had wanted nothing more than to bring that little girl back to her. He wanted to be _her hero and _prove himself to her, and the group. To be her man of honor.

He remembered the broken voice from behind him sobbing "Oh…Oh God. Sophia!" as she had run towards her baby, not realizing the danger she was putting herself into. He had quickly snapped out of his shock and grabbed Carol before she could reach the little girl. His first thought had been of her safety. The rest of them had just stood there…doing absolutely nothing to stop her from rushing into her death. That still bothered him to this day.

He remember pulling her body against his as she had slumped to the ground, taking him with her, crying out desperately for her daughter. All he knew to do was to wrap his arms around her and hold her tight. The sounds of her sobs ripping his heart from his chest. He had placed one hand over her heart, and pulled her closer against his chest. Trying to ease her pain. And when Rick had went to shoot Sophia, he had looked down and averted his eyes. He couldn't watch. It was too personal…it was Carol's daughter.

When Sophia's body had crashed to the ground, Carol had slumped over in the dirt. And he had went with her. Even after all of the danger had been dealt with, he still held her. Carol had needed comforting, and frankly, so did he, so he clung to her. He wanted to let her know that he was there, that she still had someone who cared for her, that she wasn't alone in this world. H_e had cared for Sophia too. _

He looked back over to the fire and noticed her rummaging around inside that ridiculous purse she carried with her everywhere, looking for something. When she pulled out a book and a flashlight, he laughed under his breath.

It was the end of the damn world, walkers crawling everywhere, and the woman was going to sit back and read a fucking romance novel.

One day while raking through her bag, trying to find batteries, he had come across the book. He had picked it up and glanced at it curiously. _A Kingdom Of Dreams._ He had snorted and quickly tossed it back in her purse after finding what he had been looking for.

If it was enough to take her mind off of their shitty lives, then he was all for it. Whatever made her happy.

He was the only one on watch now, and he had an hour before waking Glenn to take over. He looked around and noticed that everyone was asleep, including Carol. He walked softly over to the fire and crouched down beside her. She had fallen asleep with her book clutched tightly in her hands. He reached down and gently removed it from her fingers, bookmarking her page. She made a snuffling sound in her sleep, and shivered again as the wind blew over her form.

Daryl reached up and removed his leather jacket, laying it gently down upon her. She pulled it closer to her face and took a deep breath. And for one moment he thought he heard her murmur under her breath…

"Daryl".


	3. Before The Rain

I just want to thank everyone for all of the follows and favorites for this little story...and the reviews! I appreciate each and everyone! As promised, here is chapter 3!

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**Before The Rain**

When Carol woke up that morning her body felt as if it had been ran over by a tractor trailer. There wasn't a spot on her that didn't ache, and her chest and head hurt the worst. She carefully rolled over, noticing that her book and flashlight had been placed carefully beside her. Someone had even bookmarked her page. That's when she realized that she was warm.

She looked down and saw that Daryl's leather jacket had been wrapped tightly around her. His beautiful smell had followed her into her dreams, blanketing around her, and bringing her peace. She raised the jacket up to her nose and smiled, breathing him in. The smell of musk and outdoors teasing her nostrils. Daryl's own personal scent.

It was intoxicating.

Even while she was sleeping, he was looking out for her. He was a wonderful friend and never in a million years would she be able to repay him back for all that he had done for her…and was still doing for her. She was so thankful to have him in her life.

She slowly raised her head up from her bed of leaves and looked around. She didn't see Daryl anywhere, so she assumed that he must have already gotten up and left earlier that morning. She noticed Lori by the fire making breakfast, and her body flushed with guilt. Here she was being a layabout while there were others that needed her help. She gingerly picked herself up off the ground, her knees shaking like Jell-O, and slowly walked over to the fire.

Lori looked up at her and smiled. "Hey you. Good morning." Carol eased herself down beside her, and pulled her sweater closer to her body. "I'm so sorry I overslept. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Lori looked at her and frowned. She reached up and placed a hand upon her forehead. "Are you feeling okay?" she asked in concern. "You're awfully pale and your lips are kind of blue."

Carol shrugged off her concern. "I'm fine. Just a little cold is all. I'll warm up soon." she said nervously.

She was scared to death that one day she would wake up and find that they had left her behind. That's why she never complained, and always tried to be helpful, so that they would see that she was of some use to them after all.

Lori didn't look convinced. She reached down and finished stirring the oatmeal. "Carol, you do an awful lot for us as it is. Why don't you just take the day off?" She scooped out a bowl full and handed it to Carol. "Rick says we're heading out soon anyways. Might as well rest up."

Carol grabbed the bowl and shook her head. "Nonsense. I'm absolutely fine. Besides, I've got to pull my weight." She reached down and took a bite, wincing as the hot oatmeal scorched her tongue. She didn't have much of an appetite, but she ate it anyway to keep from wasting.

Lori got up from the log, placing her hands upon her back, her prominent belly bulging from her sheep skin coat. She looked up at the sky and sighed. "Well, whatever they're deciding to do, they need to do it soon. Looks like it's going to be a gully washer."

Carol looked up at the sky and frowned. This day had just gone from bad to worse.

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Carol jerked awake as Daryl reached down and tapped her thigh. "Woman. Ya better wake the fuck up 'fore ya ass falls off tha bike." He yelled over the roar of the wind. She pulled her arms tighter around him, and hugged his waist with her thighs. She shivered as she tucked her face against the angel wings on his back.

After Daryl had returned from the woods they had all quickly packed up their few belongings and headed out. Since then, her symptoms had been steadily getting worse. She had now developed a dry cough and it was getting harder to breathe. She felt weaker than a baby kitten.

Daryl slowed the bike as they came upon a pile up in the middle of the road. Much like the one they had come upon when they had lost Sophia.

Sophia.

She shook her head angrily. No, she wasn't going to do this to herself today. She didn't have time to wallow in grief.

Just then they heard the honk of a horn and glanced behind them. Rick, Lori, and the others had pulled off to the side, motioning for them to join them. Daryl circled around and pulled the bike up in front of them on the shoulder of the road.

He slowly climbed off and looked at her. "Tha fuck is wrong with ya? Ya look like hell." he growled at her.

Carol looked down and frowned. His words sending a pang through her heart. "Nothing. Just a bit tired is all." She looked up at him with a false smile. "I can still help out though."

He reached down for his crossbow and looked at her unconvincingly. "Sit ya ass still. I'm going ta see what Rick wants ta do 'bout all of this." He unstrapped his knife from around his waist and placed it in her hand. "Keep ya eyes open." he tossed over his shoulder as he walked towards the Suburban. "We ain't safe being this exposed."

Carol looked down at the huge hunting knife he had placed in her hand, feeling the unfamiliar weight. She didn't know the first thing about protecting herself she though grimly. When they found a secure place she had thought about asking Daryl or maybe T-Dog to teach her a few things so she wouldn't be too much of a burden. Maybe If she had known how to defend herself in the beginning, Sophia would have had a chance.

Her hand tightened around the hilt of the knife as she reached up and angrily wiped at the tear that had trickled down her cheek. What good did knowing self defense do for her now, when Sophia was already dead? How did the saying go? A day late and a dollar short.

_The story of her life._

The knife fell to the ground with a clatter as she bent over and clutched her ribs tightly. A dry cough rattled through her body, and she couldn't breathe. As she raised up slowly she could see spots dancing in her eyes, and her head began to swim. She leaned back against the bike, slowly trying to catch her breath. When her head had cleared and her breath had returned, she slowly reached down and picked up the knife.

The sound of boots echoing on the pavement had her scrambling to sit up.

"Alright. Rick's going ta send Glenn, Maggie and T-Dog on up ahead to scout it out. He wants us ta go car to car looking for anything that would be of use ta us." He glanced down at her and noticed her shivering, her lips had a purple tinge to them.

He reached around and pulled off his jacket, placing it around her shoulders. She shook her and tried to stop him. "Daryl! No! You need this more than I do." She pulled it off her shoulders and handed it to him. "Please take it back."

Daryl shook his head and put it back on her shoulders. "I run hot, woman. Go ahead and wear it til we find ya one." She pulled it back on her shoulders with a sad smile.

He was always taking care of her.

She looked up at him with a watery smile. "I'll give it back to you as soon as we're done here."

He tucked a silver curl behind her ear. "You can try…" he said with a smirk.

The simple gesture sent a spark straight down to her core. She looked down quickly before her heart could betray her.

He reached down once again and picked up his crossbow. "Come on. Let's get this done 'fore it starts ta rain."


	4. Sick

I don't know about anyone else, but it's cold and snowy here in Kentucky, and I'm about to freeze my patootie off! Anyway, I was feeling inspired and wanted to get this chapter out to you all today. Hopefully it isn't too disappointing. My next update will be an update on my Jasper Dixon stories.

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**Sick**

By the time they had scavenged through all the vehicles, the overcast skies had opened up and a deluge began, drenching them all within seconds. He felt Carol wrap her arms tighter around his waist, hiding her face against his back, as the rain pounded against their skin.

He had tried to make her ride in the Suburban with Rick, Lori, and Carl, but she wouldn't have any of it. She was fine, she insisted. Damn stubborn woman. He didn't know what it was, but something was off with her today.

He slowed the bike as they came upon a pretty good sized cabin nestled safely off the road, the others pulling in slowly behind them. He could feel Carol violently shaking behind him, and he could hear her teeth chattering. Whatever they did, they needed to do it quickly. He needed to get Carol out of the rain. He glanced around at the cabin, it was pretty good in size...it would do for tonight.

Just then, Rick and Glenn came jogging up to the bike with towels held up over their heads, protecting them from the rain. "I need for you and Glenn to go in and clear it out! Make sure it's safe!" Rick yelled over the heavy downpour of rain.

Daryl turned the bike off and put down the stand. He grabbed up his crossbow and nodded towards Glenn. "On it." he tossed over his shoulder as they started towards the cabin.

Rick turned back towards Carol. "When Daryl gives the signal that it's safe, I need you to start helping the others gather our stuff up and carry it inside." With a nod to her, he turned towards the cabin following Daryl inside.

She eased herself off of the bike and hobbled her way over to Lori, who, under Rick's direct orders, was to stay inside the toasty warm vehicle, not taking any chances with her pregnancy.

Carol tilted her head down as she walked to avoid the stinging rain. Even though Daryl had given her his coat, she was still saturated head to toe, and as always the holes in her boots had soaked up water. From the feel of it, she had two considerably sized blisters on the backs of her heels, and her feet were freezing.

If she could just get some rest, she was sure she would feel better by tomorrow. Then she would be of more use to everyone.

She saw Maggie and Beth get out of the car and make their way towards her. Maggie looked at her as she raised the rear hatch on the suv. "Most of our supplies are in here." She grabbed a box and handed it to her. "The blankets and the rest of the stuff are in the back of the Hyundai." Carol nodded and gripped the box tightly.

For some odd reason Maggie's voice began to sound hollow, almost as if she were in a tunnel, and Carol's head began to swim. A wet cough ripped through her body, and her lungs felt like they were on fire. She lost her grip on the box and heard it crash to the ground. She wrapped her arms around her ribs trying to dull the pain. She couldn't breathe, and the last thing she heard was Maggie screaming for Daryl, and Rick, as blackness descended upon her.

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Daryl looked over his shoulder, his crossbow still raised, and nodded at Rick and Glenn. "It's clear. Let's tell tha others so they can get in out of tha rain."

He glanced around the room one more time. It was clean, but dusty, and on a positive note, there had been no walkers inside. From the looks of the place, it had been forgotten long before the apocalypse had started. There were 5 bedrooms in all, forcing them to have to double up and share, leaving one person to sleep on the couch. He knew without out a doubt that Carol would be the one sleeping on the couch.

The damn woman always thought about others before thinking of herself. Didn't matter anyways he thought to himself, he would be sleeping wherever she slept. There was no way in hell he was sharing a room with T-Dog. The man snored like a fucking bear.

As they were heading outside, they heard Maggie scream for Rick. Glenn's head jerked up and he took off running. In the same moment, Daryl heard her scream again...

"Daryl!"

And he knew deep in his heart...something was wrong with Carol.

He took off running out the door, jumping off the steps and sliding to a stop as he surveyed the scene. There, lying on the ground, the cold rain washing down upon her body, was Carol. The entire group was huddled around her. Daryl felt like his heart was trying to escape from his chest.

He pushed them aside and knelt beside her. He gently lifted her head up in to his lap, and hunched over her, forming a protective barrier around her body. "What tha fuck happened to her?!" He growled looking up at Maggie.

Maggie looked at him and wrung her hands. "I don't know! One minute she was fine and the next she was bent over coughing. It was a real nasty cough. I think she's sick!"

Hershel knelt beside Daryl and looked him in the eye. "We need to get her inside son. All this rain isn't good for her. From the sounds of it, she has Pneumonia."

Rick looked up at the sky and cursed, his hand rubbing at his forehead. "Shit! Why didn't she say something to one of us? We would have waited another day and let her rest!"

Daryl scooped her up in his arms and stood, shocked at how light she was. "What tha fuck does it matter now?! I'm takin' her inside. Somebody get a fuckin' fire going please." He cursed under his breath as her forehead brushed against the underside of his jaw. She was burning up with fever.

He knew something was wrong with her today. He should have made her ass ride in one of the cars, regardless of how many times she protested. And now, here she was, sick and could very well be dying. She had rode around all day long on the back of his bike, soaking wet and freezing, and not once did she complain or voice her discomfort.

He was a fucking idiot.

What the hell was he going to do with this woman? Apparently they had a few things to work on once she was better. This low self-worth bullshit was going to stop.

He carried her up the steps, and kicked the door open with a booted foot. He carried her into the bedroom that had a fireplace and gently laid her down on the bed.

"We need to remove her clothes." Hershel said as he walked in behind Daryl, kneeling at the fireplace to start a fire. "She's soaked all the way through. We've got to get her warm before hypothermia sets in."

Beth came rushing in to the room carrying blankets, out of breath. "These are all I could find, but they should work just fine."

Hershel grabbed her by the shoulders. "Beth, I need for you to grab my bag. It has all my equipment in it." The girl quickly nodded and left the room.

Daryl reached down and removed Carol's boots, and quickly realized that her feet were soaked as well. He glanced down at her boots, they had huge holes on the bottoms and they appeared to be two sizes too big. He cursed and slung the boot against the wall behind him. He was a disgrace.

He reached back down and peeled off her wet socks, looking at her feet. She had high arches and her toes were slender and delicate. Even her feet were fucking beautiful. He looked down further and noticed that she had two, huge blisters on the backs of her heels. He cursed under his breath. Tomorrow he was going to go out to find her some new boots and a thick coat.

He reached up to her waist and grabbed the hem of her shirt. He swallowed hard before removing it. This would be the first time that he had seen any hint of her skin. He raised the shirt up over her head and arms, dropping it to the floor.

She was fucking glorious.

Even though she was, at the moment, a bit on the thin side, she was still beautiful. He felt a familiar tightening in the crotch of his jeans. He look down in shame as his cheeks burned. Here he was lusting after Carol when she was on the verge of dying. He shook his head and reached for the button on her jeans, quickly pulling them down her legs, leaving her in her underwear. He reached over and grabbed the blankets and piled them on her.

Hershel came over with his stethoscope and brushed him to the side. He leaned down and listened to her lungs. His face was grim. He raised back up and removed it from his ears. "Just as I suspected. She has pneumonia." He gently folded the stethoscope and placed it back into his bag. He reached down his hand and felt her forehead. "Fever too."

Daryl brought his hand up to his mouth, and chewed on his thumb. "Well, what tha hell do I need ta do for her?" He started pacing back and forth. "Tell me what she needs and I'll go get it."

Hershel looked over at Daryl and smiled. The man was head over heels in love with this woman.

He walked over to him and placed a hand upon Daryl's shoulder. "Well son, she's going to need antibiotics, azithromycin, erythromycin, doxycycline, any of those should work." Daryl nodded his head as he listened. "She's also going to need an inhaler, some cough syrup and acetaminophen for the fever."

Daryl walked over and picked up his crossbow that someone, probably Beth, had placed against the wall. "I'll go get it myself. Don't trust no one else ta do it." He gave Carol one last glance before leaving the room.

_He would take care of his woman and get her what she needed._

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Okay, so, we have a very protective Daryl going on a run to get his woman the meds that she needs. Reviews are always nice and they keep me motivated. :)


	5. Welcome to Harmony

**I meant to get this out yesterday but just didn't have the motivation. Yesterday was a hard day for me and I had a lot of shitty thoughts running through my mind, and I feared that if I attempted to write something, it would produce shitty results. Anyway, I woke up this morning and my zen had returned lol. Hopefully everyone will like this chapter. And if you haven't already, please check out kaoscraze82's "Melting Into You" Caryl story. It's absolutely amazing! Also, I'm a video editor, check me out on YouTube under adelicateflower08. I'm sure you'll find plenty of Caryl goodness on my channel haha!**

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Welcome to Harmony: Population 300;

The sign read as Daryl gently eased the bike up in to the empty pharmacy parking lot and shut off the motor. From what he could see of the small town he had found, there was a pharmacy, a grocery store, a general store, a local doctors office, and a post office. That was about it. There wasn't much going on for the town of Harmony, past or present.

He looked around to make sure walkers hadn't heard him pull in. The last thing he needed was to be caught in the middle of a herd. He saw one come around the corner, shuffling aimlessly down the street. It stopped and sniffed the air, spotting him. It began shambling towards him, its arms outstretched, mouth open and growling, sensing fresh meat.

Before it could reach him, Daryl got up from his bike and pulled his hunting knife from his hip. He lunged at it and quickly sank the knife into the walkers rotting brain, dropping it to the pavement. He slung the blood and decaying flesh from his knife, and wiped the residue on his pants.

He glanced around, listening to make sure no others had heard the commotion. The only thing he could hear was the pharmacy sign squeaking back forth from the pole as the wind gently blew against it, and the soft patter of rain as it drizzled against the pavement.

So far, so good.

He grabbed his crossbow from the front of the bike and walked up to the pharmacy window, peering through the dust and grime. The inside, surprisingly, had hardly been touched. From what he could see, the shelves were still stocked, even though a few of them had been knocked over.  
Hopefully he would have luck in finding the medicine that Carol needed, if not, he would try the doctor's office next door. One way or another, she would be getting what she needed, even if he had to drive 50 miles in the rain to get it.

He walked over to the door knob, and twisted the handle.

Unlocked.

He looked up at the top of the door and noticed a brass bell hanging that normally would announce customers. He cracked the door open slightly, sliding his hand up through the crack to grab it before it could ring. He slid through the door silently, closing the door behind him gently.

He raised his crossbow up to his shoulder, scanning each aisle, taking no chances on a stray walker coming upon him. All was clear.

He grabbed a plastic bag from the front register and quickly started piling supplies into his bag. Shockingly, he found everything he needed, except for the antibiotics and the inhaler, in the first aisle. It seemed when the world had went to hell, no one had been overly concerned with cough syrup and acetamenophin…at least not in this town.

He was heading towards the back of the pharmacy when a silver and brown wrapper caught his eye.

A Hershey bar.

He grabbed it up and tossed it into the bag.

She would need something to make her feel better when she woke up. Besides, women loved chocolate didn't they? Or at least, that's what he had always heard.

The next aisle he came to was the health and beauty aid aisle. He quickly went down the shelves, filling his bag with shampoo, body wash, lotion, and wet wipes… all for her. Mainly because he wanted to. She never got shit and he was tired of it.

Also, it seemed that the woman had a fondness for wet wipes. He threw one more pack in…for good measure.

He walked to the back of the store and held his flashlight up to scan the shelves.

_Vicadin, Darvocet, Loracet, Oxycontin,Tramadol, Azirthomycin…_

Bingo.

He quickly swiped it from the shelf and tossed it into the bag. He turned to search behind him when he stopped. On second thought, he'd better take the rest of those medications with him. As much as they got hurt, they would be needing them. He turned back around and raked the rest of the medicine in to his bag.

After finding an albuterol inhaler he quickly gathered up his stuff and walked back towards the front. His crossbow aimed and ready to fire as he surveyed his surroundings.

Still clear.

He reached up to the top of the door and removed the brass bell, gently laying it on the ground. He slowly opened the door and walked outside. That had been surprisingly easy he thought to himself. Just as he was walking to the bike a sign caught his eye.

_Mast General Store._

He stuffed the bag in his saddle bag and started across the street, his crossbow by his side. He walked up to the door, and once again he tested the knob. This one was locked.

He took the butt of his crossbow and busted the glass beside the knob. The glass shattered and sprinkled to the ground. He glanced behind him quickly to see if the noise had alerted any walkers. Two came around the corner of the general store groaning, their fingers outstretched, grasping for him.

Before they could get any closer, Daryl raised his crossbow and released a bolt. Taking the one on the left down to the ground. The other one had been moving at a slower pace, the bottom half of her leg missing, causing an uneven gait. He got out his knife and tossed it, hitting the walker between the eyes, stopping her instantly.

He jogged over to the bodies and placed his boot on its head, pulling out the arrow. He grimaced as the arrow made a gooey slurping sound as he pulled it from the decayed flesh. He flung the blood and brain matter from the arrow and wiped it on his pants. He walked over to the other body and repeated the motions.

_Fuck. Carol was going to kill him when she saw his pants._

He reloaded his bow and walked into the general store. Much like the pharmacy, the place was virtually untouched. Whatever had happened in this town, had happened quick.

According to the sign at the opening of town, the population had been 300. He had killed a total of three walkers, which lead him to believe that the town inhabitants had been evacuated to a larger city, most likely Atlanta, when the virus had first spread.

He shook his head and refocused on the task at hand. Carol needed a coat and some boots.

He walked over to the women's shoe section and shined his flashlight on the racks of shoes. She would need boots, preferably the kind that covered her calves. The boots she had on had been a size 9, and they had been at least a size too big. She would need an 8.

His eyes came across a pair of Dr. Marten's Women's Phina boots.

_Holy hell._

They were leather and calf-high, and they had buckle embellishments along the outside of the boot. A hidden zipper was on the inside of the calf.  
His crotch tightened painfully as he imagined Carol wearing them...wearing only them as he thrust inside of her. He could almost feel the heel of the boots digging into his ass as he pounded her.

Her jerked out of his thoughts and grabbed a pair in her size, leaving the box behind.

The store actually had a decent outdoor section, and he quickly located a black torrentshell trench coat lined with fur. It had a hood and it was supposed to be lightweight and waterproof. Perfect.

He guessed at her size, and figured she couldn't be no more than a medium. So what if it was a little big? As long as it kept her dry and warm, he wouldn't complain.

He grabbed it and rolled it up, tucking it under his arm. He placed his crossbow on his back, leaving his hand free for his knife. He bent down and grabbed the boots by the strings, dangling them from his finger, and exited the store.

He loaded his goods on to the bike and quickly circled out of the parking lot. And as he was leaving he saw another sign that said,

_Thank You For Visisting Harmony. We Hope You Enjoyed Your Stay._

Daryl smiled and pulled down on the throttle. As he sped over winding ridges, with the wind blowing through his hair, a feeling unlike any he'd ever felt before came over him. A floaty, serene feeling, almost cathartic and sublime...peaceful.

He gassed the bike again and picked up speed.

_Hold on darlin'. I'm on my way._

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**Okay, so Daryl has found all the things that Carol needs...including a coat and a hot new pair of boots! As always, reviews are lovely.**


	6. Lessons Learned

**Alright, here is chapter 6. Hope you like it!**

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**Lesson's Learned**

When he got back to the cabin, night had fallen, and the moon was peeking eerily out from behind the clouds. He quickly dismounted the bike and grabbed up his supplies, sprinting up the steps. He burst through the door, not sparing a glance to the group that was huddled together in the living room, and made his way to the bedroom that Carol was in.

When he got there, Hershel was bent over Carol, listening to her lungs with his stethoscope.

Daryl removed his crossbow from around his shoulders, and placed his supplies by the bed. "How's she doin'? She wake up yet?"

Hershel regarded him with worried eyes, and shook his head. He folded his stethoscope and sighed. "Did you get everything she needed?"

Daryl nodded and reached into the bag, removing the medicines. "Got all we needed and then some."

Hershel took the pills and opened them, shaking one out into his hand. "We need to get these in her quickly." He walked back over to the bed and grabbed a bottle of water from the stand, and leaned down to her ear. "Carol? Sweetheart, if you can hear me, I need you to wake up and take this medicine." No response. Not even an eye twitch.

Daryl stood to the side and nibbled on his thumb. He looked over at the old man and shook his head. "Hershel...let me try it."

Hershel turned back around and looked at him with a smile. "By all means. Show me how it's done." He said, handing him the pills and water.

Daryl walked over and kneeled beside her on the bed. He slid one hand under her head, bringing her upright against his chest. He sat the bottle of water and pills down on the mattress, and raised his hand up to her fevered cheek. "Carol...sweetheart. I need for ya ta take these pills." He growled softly as he stroked her face. "It'll help make ya feel better. Besides, my ass almost got ate tryin' ta get this shit for ya." He snuck a glance over his shoulder at Hershel, embarrassed that the old man could hear what he was saying.

Hershel smiled gently at the pair. The hunter wasn't fooling anyone, least of all him.

In all his years, Hershel had never seen anything like it. When he had first met Daryl Dixon, he was convinced that there was no help for the man. He was rude, crude, overbearing, and as skittish as a newborn calf. Then along came this kind and gentle woman, who had obviously seen some hardships in her life, and tamed the beast. He was a completely different person around Carol than he was with the rest of the group. Even the tone of his voice was different with her.

"Come on darlin'. Open those beautiful eyes." Daryl whispered softly in her ear as he tapped her on the cheeks.

Just then her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him in confusion. "Daryl? What happened?" She murmured weakly.

Daryl's shoulders drooped as he exhaled with a sigh of relief. "Holy shit, woman. Ya ass is sick. Didn't think ya was gonna wake up."

She glanced around wildly. "Sick? Did I get bit? Where are we?" She asked as she haltingly tried to raise herself up.

Daryl placed a hand on her shoulder and gently eased her back down. "Relax woman. We're safe for now. Ya have pneumonia." He pointed behind him. "Hershel here sent me on a run ta get some medicine for ya. I need for ya ta take them."

The old man came up behind Daryl's back and smiled at her. "He's right honey. We need for you to take these antibiotics so you can get better."

She looked up at Hershel and back down, picking at the comforter that Daryl had placed upon her. "What if someone else needs this medicine worse than I do?"

Daryl snorted angrily. She didn't even think she was worth the medicine. "Pneumonia ain't nothin' to play around with. Ya either take it or I make ya take it. What's it gonna be?"

Carol looked up at them guiltily and nodded, reaching a shaky hand out to Daryl. "I'll take it."

Daryl smiled and handed the medicine to her. "That a girl." He said softly, standing by the bed to watch her.

Carol placed the pills in her mouth, took a drink of water and swallowed.

Hershel nodded approvingly. "Take those every four hours and make sure you get plenty of rest. I think we got to it before it could get worse." He walked slowly to the door. "I'm going to go rest for a bit. Let me know if you two need anything."

Carol smiled at him gently and nodded her head. "Thank you for taking care of me Hershel."

Hershel looked over at Daryl and smiled. "I had some help."

Daryl looked down and bit at his thumb, the tips of his ears turning red. Carol looked over at him, noticing his embarrassment. No matter what he said, Daryl Dixon was a great man.

As soon as she had come to, the first thing Carol had realized, along with her aching body, was that someone had taken her clothes off. She prayed to God that it was one of the women that had done it, not that she was too keen on the idea of them seeing her naked either, but anyone would be better than Daryl. Just the thoughts of Daryl seeing her unclothed brought a scorch of shame to her cheeks. Shame because no man should have to see something like that.

She could still hear Ed's voice echoing in her head...

_"You fucking ugly bitch. You disgust me. Look at your body. No man should have to look at what I do!"_

She looked down once again, picking at the threads of the comforter. "Who...um, who...who removed my clothes?"

Daryl removed his thumb from his mouth and rubbed at the tip of his ear. "Uh...I did. I promise I didn't see anythin' though. I probably should have got Beth or Maggie ta do it. I'm sorry." He said, not quite looking her in the eye.

Carol clenched her fist around the blanket, her knuckles turning white. Just as she had feared. "No! I'm sorry, Daryl. You shouldn't have had to done that." She murmured as she looked down at her lap. "I'm sorry I put you in that position."

Daryl narrowed his eyes at her. "It ain't like ya could help it none. Ya were sick."

She looked at him with a watery smile and shrugged her shoulder. "Still though, you shouldn't have had to seen that."

He watched her as she wrapped her slender arms around herself, almost as if she was trying to hold herself together. "I though nothing of it." He growled softly. He blushed remembering some of the thoughts that he had about her. If she only knew how excited seeing her like that had made him, she'd never talk to him again.

Carol winced as his words sent a pang through her heart. Of course he had thought nothing of her body, she certainly had nothing that would gain his interest. When would she ever learn?

Carol sank back against the pillows with a sigh as she felt her energy wane again. "I'm feeling tired...I think I'll take a nap." She just didn't have the energy to worry about it anymore. "Thank you for going on that run for me."

Daryl chewed on his bottom lip, contemplating her mood. Something was off but he couldn't place it. Then again, no one had ever accused him of being an expert on women's moods. What the fuck did he know?

"Ya welcome." he muttered as he walked to the door. He turned back around and looked at her. She was lying on her back and staring at the ceiling. "Let me know if ya need anythin'." he softly said, as he closed the door behind him.

When he left, Carol reached up and wiped the tears that she kept locked up from her cheek. Emotional and physical pain coursing through her body. The pain knowing that Daryl would never love or want her. The pain that she would never know what it was like to be wanted by him. She raised a palm up to her mouth to stifle the sobs. She had to stop doing this to herself. Daryl was never going to return her feelings. The sooner she learned that lesson, the better off she would be.

* * *

Outside the room, Daryl was leaning his forehead against the door with his fist resting gently upon the wood, listening to her muffled sobs.

He wanted so much to go back in there and take her in his arms. To tell her that he loved her...that he had loved her since Hershel's farm. He wanted to run his hands up and down her body and explore every beautiful inch until he was well familiar with her. He wanted to kiss her from the top of her fluffy silver hair, to the arch of her delicate little feet.

Who the hell was he kidding? What would she want with a redneck like him? What could he offer her in return? What did he know about pleasing a woman? Here he was 44 years old and had never been in a serious relationship in his life. Sure, he'd had quick fucks, but that's all they were. Quick fucks.

Carol was a lady, and she deserved to be worshipped. He shook his head and clenched his fist tighter against the door. She wouldn't want him. That he was sure of.

The sooner he learned that lesson, the better off he'd be.

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**Alright, so Carol isn't as bad off as we had all thought, and the medicine will help her before the pneumonia can get worse.**

**And if you didn't know by now, these two are obviously very dense when it comes to their feelings for each other. Much like on the show lol. I wanted their self esteem to be extremely low, that way they can help build each other up when the time comes. Don't worry though, good things are coming their way in the next few chapters. Also, in the next chapter, Daryl will be giving her the boots and coat. :)**

**As always, reviews are lovely! :)**


	7. Gifts from the Heart

**This is the chapter that a lot of you have been asking about. Daryl giving Carol her gifts! Plus, there's a little extra bonus at the end...you know...to tide you all over LOL. I will say this...it's a good thing my husband is home today LOL! Also, this story may turn out to be more than 10 chapters. I'm guessing somewhere along 15-20 now.**

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**Gifts from the Heart**

Carol stood by the window, and looked out at the dreary sky with a frown. From the looks of it, they would be seeing snow soon, and that in and of itself, was rare thing for Georgia.

For an entire week she had been under direct orders from Hershel that she was to remain in bed and recuperate. Time and again, Daryl and Hershel had hovered over her, even though she insisted that she felt fine and would like to help contribute to the group, they had refused her. Two days ago her strength had finally returned, and she felt good for the most part, except for the occasional cough. Yesterday, Hershel had finally let her up to move around.

Carol moved away from the window with a sigh. Rick had just left after informing her that since she seemed to be doing better, today would be the day that they would move on.

She walked over to her meager belongings and placed them inside of a plastic garbage bag. She drew the strings tightly together and tied it into a knot. Carol had never owned much in her life, but what she owned now was pitiful to say the least.

She owned a busted up pair of boots, two pairs of jeans, two pairs of socks, two shirts, two pairs of ragged panties and bras, and the pathetic excuse for a sweater that she was currently wearing. She wouldn't complain though. Beggars can't be choosers.

She reached down beside the foot of the bed to put on her boots when a knock came to the door. She looked over her shoulder at the door. "Come in."

Daryl came in and shut the door softly behind him. "Hey...uh...just wanted to let ya know that we're headin' out in about 45 minutes."

Carol noticed that he was fidgeting something awful, and he seemed to be acting more shy around her than usual.

Carol smiled at him, watching as he nibbled on his bottom lip. She really wished he would stop doing that. It did funny things to her heart, the heart that was currently beating like it was trying to escape from her chest.

She looked down at the floor and closed her eyes as the smell of nature and musk teased her nostrils. She squeezed her thighs tighter together, trying to ease the ache. He did this to her every time he was around her. Damn the man. He didn't even realize the things he did to her body.

_Stupid woman. Get a hold of yourself. You're practically raping the man in your mind...but God, he smells so good._

She averted her eyes as heat blossomed across her cheeks. Thank God he wasn't able to read minds.

She sat down on the bed to put on her boots. "I'm just about ready. I was just fixing to put my boots on."

Daryl reached out a hand to stop her. "Before ya do that, I got somethin' for ya."

Carol jerked her head up in surprise. "You got...me...something?"

Daryl, who had been nervously gnawing on his thumb nail, removed it from his mouth and looked down at his feet. "Yeah. Got it while I went ta get ya medicine."

Carol didn't know what to think. As far as she could remember, except for the Cherokee Rose that Daryl had given her when Sophia had went missing, she had never received a single gift in her life.

Even before Ed had come along, her life had been a sad state of affairs from the beginning. Her troubles began when she had been orphaned at the age of 5, when her mother had committed suicide over the fact that her husband had left her for another woman.

Her father had never had much to do with her, and when he had left them, she couldn't say that she had really missed him. You couldn't miss what you never had.

Her mother had been a cold and uncaring woman, and she had blamed Carol for everything that had went wrong in her life. She could remember her ranting at her...

_You were a mistake, and you ruined my body. Look at what I gave up for you. If only you had been the boy he wanted. If only you had been a pretty girl, your father would have stayed then._

Carol could remember being in her bedroom coloring when she had heard the shot go off. She could also remember the sound scaring her, and being afraid to go and see what had happened.

She had sat there for at least an hour with her crayon clutched between her tiny fingers before she had got the courage to get up. She recalled walking into the living room and finding her mother slumped over on the couch, the gun clutched tightly in her hand. Not long after that, the welfare people had come and took her. It seemed that her father couldn't be bothered by her, as he had a new family now.

She remembered feeling excitement over the prospect of getting a new family because she had desperately wanted someone to love her. But, week after week, nothing had happened, and before she knew it, years had passed.

She had quickly found out that most people, when it came to adopting children, they wanted fresh faced, chubby cheeked babies. Not eerily quiet 5 year olds who had been traumatized by life.

She had been passed over time and again, until at the age of 18, when she was no longer considered a ward of the state, and had been released with a trash bag full of her belongings sitting beside her. She had been alone until she had met Ed when she was 25.

Ed had never been one for presents or gift giving. He hadn't even allowed her to celebrate Christmas for Sophia. For her to receive a gift was strange to say the least.

Daryl moved quickly to the door, bringing her out of her tormented thoughts. "Don't go nowhere's. I'm a go get it."

Carol sat there picking at the holes in the knees of her jeans, contemplating on what he could have possibly gotten her. She didn't have to wait long though, as he quickly returned carrying three plastic bags.

He bent down in front of her and handed her the bags. "I couldn't help but notice that ya needed some things." He coughed under his breath. "Anyway, I hope ya like it." he said shyly as the tips of his ears turned red.

Carol reached a hand out slowly, half afraid that this was some kind of mean trick.

Tricking her had been one of Ed's favorite past times, especially when they had been at the quarry. Food had been scarce then and when Daryl would sometimes bring back a deer, or a few squirrels to camp, she would cook it. As usual, she would make sure everyone else ate first, and often times she wouldn't get any.

She remembered hearing her stomach growl so loudly that Ed would look over at her and grin. If she had been smart enough, she would have seen the devious smirk on his face and avoided herself pain, but she hadn't.

She remembered him holding his plate out to her. _"Here, you can have mine dear."_ Just as she would go to reach for it, he would jerk it out of reach and kick her in the leg with a booted foot, causing her to fall to the ground.

Carol lifted up the bags and sat them on her lap, hugging them close to her chest to savor the moment. She swallowed hard and looked at him with watery eyes. "For me?"

Daryl shrugged off her question. "It's nothin'. Ya actin' like ya ain't never got a gift in ya life."

Carol looked down at the bag with a small smile and sniffed. "I haven't." She murmured under her breath.

Daryl felt rage course through his body. He began to wonder if anyone had ever shown this woman a drop of kindness in her life. She was a woman who sacrificed herself repeatedly for others, and not one damn person had ever shown her their appreciation. That shit was going to change.

"Well, ya gonna open it or hug it all day?" He grumbled softly under his breath.

She opened the bag slowly and reached in, pulling out the leather boots. They were obviously brand new, and very expensive, as they still had the tags on them.

In her old life, she would have only dreamed about owning a pair of boots like this. Even though Ed had made a decent living, he had made her wear clothes that were second hand and far too old for her, while he dressed in the nothing but the best. He had been a bastard like that.

She was shocked. Speechless. No one had ever done anything this nice for her in all her life. She pulled the boots closer to her and clutched them to her chest.

"I uh...noticed when I took ya boots off that they had holes on the bottoms...and ya feet were wet..." He rambled on as he watched her hold the boots against her.

She was breaking his fucking heart.

She still hadn't said a word as she reached into the second bag and pulled out the coat. Again, it was brand new. She held it up against her and rubbed the material, marveling at the idea that this was hers, and it had never been worn by anyone else. She sat it to the side as she reached into the third bag and pulled out all of the toiletries items that he had picked up. The man had thought of everything.

Daryl peeked at her from beneath the fringe of his bangs. "Do ya like them?"

With a heart-wrenching sob, she buried her face in her gifts and cried.

Daryl moved forward on his knees, prying himself into the space between her legs. "Holy shit, woman. I didn't mean ta make ya cry."

Carol sniffed as Daryl put his hands on her face, lifting her head until he could see her eyes. "Ya alright?" He asked her softly with concern.

Carol smiled weakly and gave a jerky nod. "I'm going to be."

Daryl ran his thumbs along her cheekbones, wiping the tears away as he went. "There's one more thing in that bag for ya." He said with a sideways grin.

Carol looked at him with a frown, and glanced back down to the bag. She reached her hand inside, and slowly pulled it out.

_A Hershey bar._

The man had got her chocolate. With a sob-like laugh she launched herself into Daryl's arms, Hershey bar and all. One arm went around her waist and the other braced himself against the bed as the sudden movement threw him off balance. "Woah. We almost fell." He said with a nervous laugh. That laughter soon faded away when he realized that she was in his arms...and she felt perfect.

Daryl gripped her tighter around her tiny waist until her soft breast were pressing against his chest. His heart began to pound furiously and his pants tightened painfully around his crotch. He bent his head down to the curve of her neck and smelled her.

_Lilacs. God, he loved her scent._

His eyes rolled back into his head as he inhaled her. He had to taste her.

He buried his nose closer to her neck and slowly flicked out his tongue. She tasted like the sweetest ambrosia. He felt her go still, and he knew that he had fucked up.

He watched her face as she slowly pulled back and gazed into his eyes. Her face was flushed and her breathing was heavy. And in that moment, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He threw caution to the wind and slowly brought his hand up and wrapped it around her neck.

He crushed his lips to hers, hard and unyielding. He felt her arms go around his neck, her hand curling in the hair at the nape of his neck. He softened the kiss as he wrapped both arms around her, pulling her closer.

She moaned as she moved her hands from his hair, running them down the side of his face to grasp him closer. She could feel his heart hammering inside of his leather vest as her tongue came out and stroked over his mouth. She licked at him until his lips opened slowly, granting her access.

Their tongues battled for dominance as he raised up slightly, lifting her by the waist to gently lay her back on the bed. She spread her legs open as he crawled up her body and nestled himself in between. She could feel his hardness pressing against her opening and she hated to admit it, but she was embarrassingly wet.

She could hardly believe that this was happening. Was it all a mistake on his part? Did he truly mean to kiss her or was he just responding to a warm body? Her mind was spinning.

Their lips broke apart as they panted, both desperate to catch their breath.

He ran his fingers through the soft silver curls at her temple. "Been wantin' ta do that for a while now."

Carol gazed up at him with a perplexed looked. "Why me? She panted softly against his lips. "You could do so much better."

Daryl frowned down at her, his thumbs tracing her lips. "Better than you?" He shook his head with a smile. "There isn't anythin' on this earth that's better than ya."

Carol smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I don't have much to offer you, Daryl." She looked down and sniffed. "I'm not pretty or young..."

"Fuck that shit." He growled at her. "That's Ed Peletier talkin'. Besides, you're tha one that could do better." He ran his hands underneath her shirt, smoothing his hands up her sides, reaching for her breasts. "Ya fuckin' beautiful." He growled as she grabbed his wrist before he could reach them.

She averted her eyes as her cheeks burned with shame. "Daryl...I uh...I don't have nice underwear...they're actually pretty threadbare..." she murmured softly, unable to meet his gaze.

He bent down to her lips. "I don't fuckin' care. I'll be rippin' them off later anyway." He nipped at her lips, wanting access. "I'll get ya more. But first, I want ta make ya feel good."

Carol slowly released the grip she had on his wrist and nodded.

He dropped down and took her mouth, going in deep, searching every corner of her mouth. His hands slid down to her belly button, tracing a circle around it.

Good Lord, but she was lost to this man. In that moment, she would have done anything he wanted, just as long as he never stopped kissing her.

He slowly flipped open the button on her jeans, and lowered the zipper down slowly. He ran his hand underneath the loose material and slid his palm down to the juncture of her thighs. He gently parted her lips, and slid his middle finger inside, teasing the hard nub.

He growled in his throat. "Ya so fuckin' wet for me."

Carol's eyes rolled back into her head as the sensation overwhelmed her. She mewled his name softly in her throat. "Daryl..."

He leaned down and licked at her mouth, teasing her with his tongue. "I fuckin' love my name on ya lips." He whispered as he inserted a finger in her tight cavern. "So tight." He groaned as her hips jerked up, following his movements. "I wish we had more privacy so I could taste ya. Would ya let me?" He muttered against her mouth.

When she nodded he smiled fiercely. "I can't fuckin' wait." When they had more privacy, he would be making good on that promise.

He ran his finger back up her dewy slit. "Mmmm, ya covered in honey."

She was panting now, her breath coming out harder. She was so close. "Daryl, please..."

He ran his tongue up the length of her throat and grinded his erection into her pelvis. "That's what I'm doin' darlin. Pleasin' ya..."

She grabbed his hair with her hands, pulling his face closer to hers. He groaned and she could feel the vibrations against her chest. "Open ya legs wider for me...that's it...that's so good." he whispered as he slipped two fingers inside her.

There were so many sensations overwhelming her body, and she didn't know what to expect, as she had never had an orgasm before. She panted against his lips, her fingers digging into his shoulders. She watched as he reached his other hand up and raised her shirt, ripping the flimsy bra from her chest. She gasped as the material tore, freeing her to his gaze.

"So fuckin' beautiful." He whispered as he bent down and sucked a pretty pink nipple deep into his mouth. Just like that, a flash of lightning appeared behind her closed lids, tossing her into a void of pulsing white heat.

Daryl pulled her tighter against him, still pumping his fingers between her legs. "That's it darlin. Ya so fuckin' beautiful when ya cum." He bent down and kissed her as she came down from her high. "All for me."

Carol panted as she raised a hand up to his forhead, gently sweeping aside an unruly lock of hair. "Just for you." She whispered with a shy sweet smile.

Carol ran her hand slowly down his chest until she reached the buckle of his belt. "Now, show me how to please you..."

* * *

**Alright, Daryl's turn is next. Even though it's not "sex", I figured it would hold you all off until we can get to the big "shebang" LOL. As always, reviews are lovely. :)**


	8. A Better Man

**Alright, I've heard your screams! Here is Daryl's "turn". Hopefully it's good! :P**

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**A Better Man**

Daryl swallowed hard as he watched her run a slender hand down his chest until she reached the buckle of his belt. "Now, show me how to please you..." She whispered shyly as she looked up at him.

Watching her cum, knowing that he was the one that was giving her that pleasure, did all kinds of things to his ego. The look upon her face had just about made him cum in his underwear. She was fucking beautiful when her face was twisted with pleasure.

Daryl gently grasped her hands to stop her from going any further. "Ya ain't gotta..."

Carol's face fell and her hands dropped to her stomach. "Oh...okay...I understand." Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she averted her eyes.

Daryl shook his head in frustration. "Ya don't understand a damn thing, woman." He dipped his mouth down to her lips and sipped at her gently. "I meant that ya don't need ta feel like ya need to repay me. I wanted ta do it."

Carol smiled up at him as she ran a hand along his shoulder delving into the silky hair at the nape of his neck. "I want to. I want to make you feel like I just did." She looked down at his chest as she smoothed her hands over it. "I've never... had one...an orgasm before." She said as she stumbled over her words, her cheeks heating with embarrassment.

If his ego could be described as being big before, there sure as hell wasn't a word to describe it now. He, Daryl Dixon, had given a woman, a woman whom he loved very much, her very first orgasm. He felt cocky.

He looked at her with a smirk and bent his head down, nipping at her lips. "There's plenty more where that came from, darlin'."

Carol reached up and licked at his mouth until he parted his lips, granting her access. Daryl's body shuddered as their tongues flicked against each other and battled for dominance. He gathered her close and pressed his lips tighter to hers. She pulled back and whispered against his mouth. "Show me how to please you."

Daryl leaned back on his elbows to stare at her. "Ya sure?"

She looked up into his eyes and smiled. "Yes."

Daryl nodded gently as he sat back on his heels and slowly unbuckled his pants.

Carol leaned up on her elbows, watching as he unveiled himself to her gaze. She licked her lips as he sprung free from the confines of his jeans. He was big, thick and long.

She swallowed hard as she watched him fist his thick arousal and run his hand up and down his long shaft. She had never seen one quite as large his. Sure, she had seen the occasional male centerfold, and there had been Ed, but Ed's had been pitiful to say the least. If she had to guess, she would say that Ed's had been no longer than five inches, and it had been thin. Daryl on the other hand, well, she just didn't see how something that big was going to fit inside of her. She was looking forward to finding out though.

Daryl watched as she licked her lips. "Ya keep lookin' at me like that and this'll be over 'fore it starts." He growled under his breath.

She slowly reached up and unbuttoned his sleeveless shirt, kissing his chest each time she revealed a strip of skin. She peeled it off of his shoulders and tossed it to the side, revealing his sculpted body to her heated gaze. His body was a testament to the hard labor he had done over the years, before and after the virus. Instead of being perfected by a gym, he was naturally cut, and he was beautiful.

She watched as he crossed over her legs and lay down beside her. He reached an arm over her and tugged her over him until she straddled his waist. He placed his hands on her hips and smirked up at her. "That's better."

She bit her lip and looked down at him. Here she was, 46 years old, and was practically a novice. "What do I do?"

He grinned up at her and placed his arms behind his head. "Do what ya want. If you're tha one doin' it ta me, it's gonna feel good."

Carol reached down and grasped him, firmly, but gently. They both gasped. He was rock hard and hot as fire. She noticed that the tips of her fingers didn't touch. Just the thought of the size of his girth sent a flood of moisture between her thighs. "Now what?"

He reached down and wrapped his hand around her, showing her the motion he liked. Slow and steady. She moved her hand gently up and down him, feeling the soft skin move over his hard shaft. She moaned as she watched him toss his head back into the pillows and his hips arch up off of the bed. "God you feel so good." She murmured as she slid her hand from base to tip.

He groaned her name as her hand found a different speed and angle. "Carol..." The sensation was overwhelming him.

"You're so hard and throbbing." She whispered as his pelvis followed her hand motion. His breathing got heavier and his thighs were clenching.

"Ain't gonna last long, baby." He growled as she stroked him faster. Across his skin, a light sheen of sweat gleamed in the dim light of the room. She kept pumping him, focusing her attention on his thick bulbous head.

Carol panted down at him. "I know...God, I'm so wet for you again." She made a gentle twisting motion on her way down his shaft that caused his head to spin and his pelvis to punch through the air. He brought a hand up to her free hand and brought it to his scrotum. "Hold them. Stroke me faster."

She lightly grabbed a hold of his balls and cupped them gently. His whole body became rigid as his hips starting thrusting in an uneven rhythm. She picked up the speed and just before he exploded, she tugged a little on his balls, feeling his orgasm from beginning to end. Carol watched, enthralled as his hot semen squirted up and on to his stomach.

"Son of a bitch!" he growled as his eyes rolled back into his head. Carol panted as she looked down at him. He was absolutely beautiful when his face was flushed with pleasure. Pleasure that she, Carol Peletier, had given him.

Carol smiled down at him and reached over for the sheet to clean him off with. "How was that?"

Daryl groaned, struggling to catch his breath as ran his hands through his hair. "Fuckin' hell, woman. Ya just 'bout killed my ass." He reached down and tucked himself back into his underwear.

She smiled shyly down at him. "So, I did good?"

Daryl smirked at her and pulled her to his chest. "Ya did good, baby. Any better and my ass would have passed out." He said as he gently kissed her on the lips.

Carol laid her head down on his chest, listening to his heart return to a normal rhythm. She had so many questions but didn't know how to ask him, and, to be honest, she was afraid to ask him. She wanted to know if he had any feelings for her at all, or if this was simply a release for him? Maybe this was just a one time thing on his part? Or maybe she was just a warm and willing body to him?

She shook her head lightly and released a sigh. If this was the only chance she got to be with him, then so be it. She would accept it and not wish for more. She would enjoy these last few moments they had together before they returned to reality. She knew deep in her heart that Daryl wouldn't want a relationship with her. Why would he?

Daryl noticed that she had become quiet and her body had gone rigid. Was she regretting what they had done? Probably.

Daryl tilted her chin up so he could see her eyes. "What's tha matter? What's got ya thinkin' so hard?"

She looked up at him with a sad smile. "What are we doing here, Daryl? What is this?"

Daryl looked down at her and glided his thumb along her cheeks. "Why does it have to be anythin'? Why can't it just be...us?"

She smiled up at him , tears gathering in her eyes. "Is there an us, Daryl? Do you really want us to be seen as a couple?"

Daryl pulled her up until they were face to face. "Abso-fuckin-lutely."

Carol looked down at his chest and curled her fingers in the dusting of hair. "Before we go any further, you have to know something..." She swallowed hard and averted her eyes. "I love you, Daryl. I have since the farm."

Daryl placed his finger beneath her chin and tilted her head so he could see her eyes. "I love ya too. Have for a while now. You're it for me, woman." He told her without hesitation.

Carol shook her head with denial. "Don't just say it because you feel sorry for me. I know I'm not a lovable person..."

Daryl raised up quickly causing her to have to wrap her legs around his waist while she sat in his lap. "Not a lovable person?" He growled as he placed his hands upon her cheeks. "Woman, we really need to work on ya self-esteem."

She sniffed as a tear fell down her cheek. "When someone puts you down often enough, you start to believe it." She achingly whispered.

"Well ya need ta stop, because none of its true." Daryl angrily muttered.

She gave a broken laugh and wiped under her nose. "The bad stuff is easier to believe."

Daryl watched as a tear trickled down her cheek. They had so much in common. He had been beat down and abused his entire life by someone who should have loved him, but hadn't. In Carol, he had met a kindred spirit, two broken people who gravitated towards each other.

He raised her chin, waiting for her eyes to meet his. "I think ya are a very special person, and ya are easy ta love. Hell, I fell in love with ya tha night ya were crying for ya missing baby." He looked down and frowned at the memory. "I wanted so badly to be tha one ta bring her back to ya. Ta be ya man of honor." He looked up as he heard her sob. "You make me want to be a better man."

With an anguished cry, she threw herself into his arms and sobbed into his neck. Daryl wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tighter against his chest. "Jesus Christ, woman. I tell ya I love ya and this is how ya react?"

With a muffled sob-like laugh, she raised her head up and kissed him. "I'm so sorry, but that's probably one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me."

"Well, I meant every word. I do love ya." Daryl murmured softly against her lips.

Carol smiled at him with a watery smile as she rubbed her thumb over the scruff on his chin. "I love you, too."

Daryl nipped playfully at her bottom lip. "Good. Now let's get dressed before someone walks in."

Carol nodded and reached down to button herself back up, all the while, hardly believing that she had told Daryl Dixon that she loved him, and that he returned those feelings.

* * *

**Alright! How was that? Good enough to hold you all over? LOL. So Carol is going to be working on her self-esteem, and Daryl will be helping her become stronger. **

**BTW. I want to give credit where credit is due...this chapter was somewhat inspired by a few quotes from the movies "Pretty Woman" and "As Good As It Gets." Just wanted to put that out there.**

(Pretty Woman Quotes)  
**Vivian: People put you down enough, you start to believe it. **  
**Edward Lewis: I think you are a very bright, very special woman. **  
**Vivian: The bad stuff is easier to believe.**

(As Good As It Gets Quotes)  
**Melvin Udall: You make me want to be a better man. **  
**Carol Connelly: ...That's maybe the best compliment of my life.**


	9. Already Strong

**With this chapter, I really wanted to get inside Carol's head and to focus on her body issues. She will be exorcising the demon that is Ed Peletier from her mind lol!**

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**Already Strong**

After Daryl had left the room, Carol finished getting dressed. She still could not believe what they had done. She blushed as she remembered the things he had done to her body, the things she had done to his. Her body still remembered his hands and the way they had touched her, causing her to shudder and moan. The sensations that had overwhelmed her were nothing short of an anomaly.

She was bent over the garbage bag, raking through her meager belongings when she frowned. She had only one bra left to her name as Daryl had ripped the other one from her body. Not that she cared, the bra had been sub-par at best. She bit her lip with a smile. Oh well, some things were worth sacrificing. She put on her last bra, grimacing at the threadbare material.

She sat down on the bed to put on her worn leather boots, when the new ones Daryl had got her caught her eye. They were amazing. She froze as she stared at them, self-doubt running rampant in her mind.

Boots like that were meant to be worn by women that were sexy, and confident. Something she was not. What would the others think when they saw her wearing them? What would Daryl think? Her face heated up as she imagined them all staring at her, laughing at her behind her back.

Scalding tears fell down her face. She raised her hands up to her cheeks, scrubbing angrily at the wetness until she was raw. She was so tired of feeling this way. She had promised Daryl that she would work on her self-esteem; however, the past was sometimes hard to let go. She had been listening to Ed's voice inside of her head for years, and it was sometimes as if he were in the same room with her. He had spent their entire marriage overtly belittling her, and haranguing her every chance he got. She had remained under his grip for so long, that she had begun to question herself, her actions and her beliefs.

He had made her believe that she had deserved his cruelty and that she was the cause of any relationship problems they had. For so long she had felt that his behavior was simply a response to her, and therefore, acceptable. She had so many regrets in her life, not leaving Ed was her biggest one. The day she had stuck a pick axe through his head was the day that she had been freed from her prison, yet Ed's pollution still lingered in her mind.

_Look at you, bitch. You don't have the body to wear those boots. They're all going to fucking laugh at you. You should be thankful that I married your ass. That redneck is using you. He doesn't want you. You're the only woman available. Slim pickings._

She brought her hands down to her sides and clenched her fists. She took a breath in and exhaled. She was going to wear those fucking boots. To hell, with Ed Peletier. She grinned, realizing that she was starting to sound a lot like Daryl. She leaned forward and slipped her feet into the new boots. She almost cried when she felt how excellent of a fit they were. Nothing got by Daryl.

She stood up and walked over to the dusty floor length mirror that was in the corner of the room. She used a section of the bed sheet to clean the mirror. When she was done, she stepped back with a frown, glancing up and down her body, scrutinizing it.

She slowly raised her hands up to her breasts and squeezed them. Because they were small, they were still firm; however, she wished that they were slightly bigger. Daryl had not seemed to mind though. In fact, he had been extremely dogmatic in his opinion. With a shrug, she slowly moved her hands down to her stomach, caressing a non-existent bulge. She wished her stomach was flatter. Her pregnancy with Sophia had wrecked havoc on her already inadequate body, leaving behind a thick c-section scar. Not that she had minded, Sophia had been well worth it.

She turned around, glancing over her shoulder at her rear end. In her opinion, her ass was her best feature. It was tight, firm and round. She turned back towards the mirror, and her eyes traveled down to her legs, looking with nuance at the way the boots had been crafted. They were sexy, and they made her feel badass. With a smile, she decided that it was a feeling she liked.

She raised her hand up to her hair, her smile fading. She had started going silver about five years ago. Before, her hair had been a beautiful auburn with curls that had spiraled down her back. It had been soft and silky to the touch. She had been so proud of her hair. Ed had told her that hair like that belonged on a beautiful woman, and that it had been wasted on a woman such as herself.

One night he had come home in a rage and had dragged her, kicking and screaming, to the bedroom by her hair. Sophia had been three years old at the time. Carol recalled her standing in the doorway to her bedroom sucking on her thumb, watching as Ed had dragged her. She had screamed at Sophia to go back inside her room. Sophia had looked at Carol, and with a sob, she had gently closed the door.

She still remembered the sound of the buzz clippers in her ear, and the feel of cool air brushing against her scalp. After he had finished destroying her hair, he had beat and raped her. As usual, the next morning he had apologized and she had believed him. She had repeated the same vicious cycle for years.

He could be charming when he wanted to be, especially those mornings after he would come home piss drunk and...She shook her head angrily, clearing her thoughts. Stupid...she had been so stupid. At the time, she didn't know that she could be strong, and that she already was.

She reached down at the foot of the bed and retrieved the coat. She tore off the tags and unzipped it, slipping it around her shoulders, enveloping herself in its warmth. Once again, Daryl had been very observant. The coat was a perfect fit. Carol looked at her reflection and grinned. Ed had been a liar. The woman she saw staring back at her was a very desirable woman, and in that moment she felt like the hottest thing on the planet, and that no one could resist her.

This was the woman who had been suppressed for so many years, the woman who had been eager to break free from her restraints. This is who she had been all along...and she liked it. Daryl had made a vast improvement to her self-esteem, along with the boots and coat. She was excited for him to see her.

With a smile, she reached down and grabbed her garbage ball full of clothes and headed towards the door.

* * *

Daryl had been outside tinkering with his bike, prepping it for the road, when wolf whistles from behind him caught his attention. He turned to see T-Dog and Glenn, staring straight ahead, grinning and slapping each other on the chest. Daryl frowned, wondering what the hell they were laughing over.

He turned his head in the direction they were staring, and it was as if his jaw had become paralyzed. He felt it drop and saliva began to puddle inside his mouth. Holy fucking hell. Was that really Carol?

He watched as she slowly descended down the steps, a small smile playing on her lips. She was wearing what he had got her, and she was wearing it _very well_. The boots clung to her legs, and the coat formed to her body. She was fucking beautiful. He glanced back over to T-Dog and Glenn and snapped his jaw closed. Those sons a bitches were eyeballing his woman like she was a fucking T-bone steak, and they hadn't eaten in days.

Daryl stomped over and glared at them. Their laughter dying as soon as they saw the scowl on Daryl's face. Both men averted their eyes, intimidated.

Glenn looked at the hunter with shame, his face turning red. "Ss..sorry. Won't happen again." He stuttered.

Daryl grunted and brushed past them. "See that it don't."

He walked over to Carol, marveling at the idea that this was the same woman. He stopped a few feet in front of her.

"Carol?" He shockingly asked.

She smirked at him and giggled. "Tell me about it, stud."

Daryl snorted at her joke and shook his head. "Ya look good. A little too good."

She beamed at him and glanced down at her coat and boots, considering what he said. "You think so? You don't think I look bad?" She asked while nervously wringing her hands.

"Bad?" He snickered. "Does it look as if I think ya look bad?" He muttered under his breath.

"Oh?" She looked at him confused until her eyes traveled down his body, coming to rest on the obvious bulge in his pants. Her eyes widened. "OHHH..."

Daryl turned red in the face and chuckled. "Yeah...oh."

Carol looked up at him and blushed, smiling prettily.

Daryl stared at her, completely mesmerized by the blue depths of her eyes. Just an hour ago he had become well acquainted with her body. His hands had lovingly caressed every curve and dip. He looked forward to exploring more of her body when they had more privacy. He had plans for those boots.

He glanced up at her from beneath his bangs. "Listen, ya feel up ta riding with me? If not, Rick and Lori would let ya ride with them?" He didn't want to be presumptuous.

She made a move forward, bringing up her hand to rest on his arm. "No! I mean...I would love to ride with you." She replied, biting her lip gently.

Daryl smirked at her and nodded. "Alright, let's get this show on tha road."

Carol nodded and walked over to the Suburban, placing her clothes inside. She walked over to the motorcycle and climbed on behind Daryl, wrapping her arms and legs around his waist.

Daryl moaned as he felt her thighs tighten around his waist. A bead of sweat trickled down his cheek and over his lip. He brought his hand up to wipe it away and froze as Carol's alluring scent wafted under his nose. His fingers still smelled of her. He breathed in deep and groaned. This was going to be a long fucking trip.

* * *

**Alright, how was that? She was basically saying a big giant "Fuck You" to Ed, and gained some of her self-confidence back. Next up, smut! As Daryl said, he has plans for those boots! ;)**

**Also, our couple will be discussing their pasts with each other. Good stuff coming up. Stay tuned!**

**Reviews are lovely but not required! **


	10. A Safe Place

**This is probably the longest chapter I've ever wrote! Hope it was worth the wait!**

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**A Safe Place**

By evening, the group had come across an old Georgia plantation home that was perched upon a hill, overlooking the small quaint town of "Magnolia", nestled safely at the bottom. Because the mansion was sitting atop a hill, the angle provided them with an excellent viewpoint. They would be able to see a herd coming for a mile and be long gone before walkers could shuffle to the top.

They had pulled over to the side as Daryl and Rick discussed the possibility of staying, and they had quickly agreed that it would be as good a place as any to stay for the night, maybe longer if things looked promising.

Carol relaxed her arms from around Daryl's waist as the convoy came to a stop. She glanced up at the mansion and smiled. It was absolutely mesmerizing. It was white with black shutters, and it had four columns gracing the front. There was also a wrap around balcony at the top. The front door was centered, with a decorative crown, and a giant Magnolia tree sat in front of the house, providing it with shade. A house of this size was bound to be loaded down with supplies. She could not help but wonder if maybe they had found a permanent place to stay.

Carol reverted her attention back to Daryl as he jerkily removed her arms from around his waist. He lowered the kickstand on the bike and moved to get off.

"Stay here, gonna go help clear it out." He growled as he grabbed up his crossbow from the front of the bike.

Carol looked at him, noticing the scowl on his face. Her smiled dropped. "Oh...o..okay." She replied, stumbling over her words. She watched as he stormed off.

Did she do something wrong? Maybe he was just being nice when he had asked her if she wanted to ride with him? Was she being a burden to him? To say she was confused would be an understatement.

Her smile returned as she saw Lori waddling over to the bike, clutching at her bulging stomach. From the looks of it, she would be delivering soon.

"How are you feeling?" Carol asked her, smiling softly as the brunette let out a tired sigh.

"As if I'm carrying a watermelon underneath my shirt." She laughed, rubbing tiredly at her aching back. "You wouldn't believe how swollen my ankles are." She said with a grimace. "Hershel said if I propped them up, the swelling should recede." She shook her head with a small smile. "Rick, love his heart, hovers over me something awful. He insists that I prop my feet on the dash while we're driving." She walked on over to Carol and leaned against the bike with a tired sigh. "That man is too good to me."

Carol looked at the woman with envy, wondering what that would be like. The whole time she had been pregnant with Sophia, Ed had made her life a living hell, more so than usual.

The first five months, the beatings had been less frequent, some days the only thing she would receive would be an occasional slap. She had looked forward to those days. It meant that she would get a break from the pain he always inflicted upon her body, and if the least she got was a slap, then she considered herself lucky. However, at the beginning of her sixth month, the beatings began again.

The day she had found out the baby she was carrying was a girl, her fear returned. She remembered walking home after her appointment, her stomach tied in knots and her hands trembling with nerves. When he came home from work that night, he had nearly killed her. He had been expecting a boy, and according to him, she couldn't even do that right.

Carol flinched at the memory of being tossed through their glass coffee table. It was a miracle that Sophia had survived. It was a miracle that she had survived.

She remembered the warm blood dripping into her eyes as she had stared up at Ed hovering over her, shouting.

_"Stupid bitch! You can't do anything right. Can't even give me a son!"_

With those vile words, he had spat on her and drawn his steel toed boot back, kicking the tops of her thighs. After he had left her there bleeding and bruised, she had slowly eased herself up, clutching at her small baby bump.

She still remembered the feel of glass shards cutting into the palms of her hands and slicing into the delicate skin on her knees. With shaky legs, she had stood, and accessed her pain. She had walked slowly over to the phone and called an ambulance for herself, worried that he had killed her baby.

When EMT's arrived, she had explained to them that she had clumsily tripped into the table because of her pregnancy bulk. They had looked at her with pity, not buying her story.

Some years later she had found that it was easier to patch yourself up at home rather than explain to a nurse that you had fallen down the stairs again, twice in one month. The internet had quickly become her medical guide.

She snapped out her memories as she felt Lori's hand gently shake her shoulder. "Hey, where did you go? Are you okay?" Lori asked with concern.

Carol looked at her and smiled. "Yeah. I'm fine." She looked down, her eyes fixed on the ground. "Just...some bad memories I'm trying to let go of." She replied in a despondent tone.

Lori smiled softly at her and brought her hand up, tucking a silver curl behind Carol's ear. "Don't worry, you will make better ones." She brought her hand down to Carol's back and pat her gently. "Besides," she replied with a cheeky grin, eyeballing Carol's new coat and boots. "From the sounds coming from that bedroom earlier, I'd say Mr. Dixon has already been helping you with new memories." She quipped.

Carol glanced quickly over her shoulder, her eyes wide, afraid that someone had overheard the woman. "Shh! Please don't say anything to anyone!" She whispered pleadingly, grimacing at the woman's dreamy look. The last thing she needed was for Lori to go back and tell everyone what she had heard. Daryl would be mortified.

Lori looked at her confused. "Why not?! I think it's wonderful that you two have finally quit dancing around your feelings for each other." She whispered ecstatically. "I'm pretty sure the others have a betting pool going on." She joked.

Carol glanced at her in horror and groaned. "Did anyone else hear anything?"

Lori looked at her and frowned. "No, of course not." She replied. "The only reason I heard is because I was walking back to the bedroom to grab my coat. No one else was in the house."

Carol breathed a sigh of relief. "Good."

Lori looked at her and shook her head, her face curious. "I don't understand. Why do you not want me telling the others? You two are together, right?"

Carol averted her eyes. "I don't know...it's...it's complicated." She explained.

"Complicated how? Sure didn't sound complicated." She smirked at her.

Carol blushed and smiled. "We're trying to figure out how this relationship stuff works. It's new for both of us."

Lori chuckled and hugged her tight. "Alright. Well, while you two are figuring things out, don't forget to have fun." Her laugh suddenly faded as her face took on a thoughtful expression. "On second thought, don't have too much fun unless you want one of these." She replied, pointing at her expanding girth.

Carol laughed and shook her head. "Don't worry, if that happened it would be a miracle. I had a birth control implant planted in my arm when Sophia was six. Every three years I would go and get it replaced. I'm safe for another year."

Lori groaned and rolled her eyes. "You two make me so jealous. If I even look at Rick, I'll get pregnant. Just call me fertile Myrtle." She laughed and shook her head.

"The first time we had sex, I got pregnant with Carl." She recalled with a smile. "After he was born, I started taking birth control, had been on it for years, but with the world going to hell and all that, I ran out of my pills the first week we were at the quarry." She arched her brow and pointed to her belly again. "Here is my proof." Lori quipped as they guffawed.

Their laughter quickly died as the men came out, Daryl following closely behind Rick. Rick motioned for the group to gather around as he explained the situation.

"Alright, here's the deal. We've got more than enough bedrooms for everyone to have their own rooms if they want, and the larger rooms have fireplaces. There is also a smokehouse out back and cellar loaded down with food."

Rick looked around at the rag tag group and smiled. "Looks as if we've hit the jackpot folks. Grab your bags, we're going to be staying for a while, see how it goes." The group murmured excitedly amongst each other, glad to have finally found dependable shelter.

As the others went to grab their bags, Carol walked up to Daryl as he was unloading his bike. It appeared that he was rummaging inside his saddle bag for something. She swallowed hard before she spoke.

"Daryl, is everything alright? Did I do something wrong?" She cursed under her breath as her voice shook with nerves.

Carol took a quick step back as Daryl spun around and grabbed her by the hand. "Follow me." He growled, leading her by the arm. Carol had no choice but to follow him as she ran to keep up with his pace. Wherever he was taking her, he was in a hurry.

"Daryl, where are we going?" She asked him breathlessly.

He dragged her up the porch steps and through the massive front doors, not sparing a glance at the others that were gathered in the foyer, looking at them with shocked expressions. She didn't even have time to process her surroundings as he led her up the winding staircase and to one of the spare bedrooms.

They walked inside, and Daryl turned, kicking the door shut with his boot. He spun back around and pounced on her. Carol barely had time to register her thoughts as his tongue invaded her mouth. Apparently her man wanted her, and he didn't care who knew. That was good to know.

Her body shuddered, and her knees turned to mush as he licked and sucked at her mouth. She brought her arms up and twined them around his neck, tangling her fingers in the soft hair at his nape. Her mind was hazy, and her body felt intoxicated. He was in her bloodstream, flowing throughout her body.

She moaned as he reached down and removed her coat, easing it from her shoulders. She watched his fingers tremble as he removed her shirt, tossing it over his head. Carol gasped as he reached down and ripped the threadbare material of her bra, causing her breast to spill free from their confinement.

Her pulse was throbbing between her legs, and her clit was aching and swollen, causing moisture to gather between her thighs. He brought his thumb up to his mouth and licked it, lowering it gently to her engorged nipple, her body lurched into his as the rough pad of his thumb caught on her tender flesh.

"Daryl, please." She moaned as he flicked his thumb lazily back and forth.

Carol gasped as he bent his head down and sucked at her breast, sucking so hard she could feel the roof of his mouth. Her heart pounded, and her blood was buzzing in her ears.

Daryl raised his head and looked at her face while he gently tweaked her nipples. She was flushed and feverish, panting hard. The moment their eyes met, her eyes blazed.

Carol brought her hands up to his shirt, her fingers clumsy and fumbling as she tried to unbutton his shirt. "Fuck it!" She muttered as she ripped the fabric open, buttons flying across the room, exposing his muscled chest. She wrestled his shirt down his arms, letting it flutter to the floor.

Daryl lowered his head and nipped softly at her neck, with one arm around her waist, he walked her backwards to the dresser that sat on the far side of the room. Daryl growled at the whimpering sound she made when he sucked gently at her pulse point. With one hand, he raked the items that were littering the top of the dresser, sending them crashing to the floor. He wrapped his arms around her tiny waist, lifting her until she was sitting on top.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, resting her forehead against his. His eyes were smouldering with desire as she panted into his mouth. He lowered his head, and teased her lips apart with a steady insistent pressure that made her body feel swollen and shivery. He tore his mouth from hers as he ran his hands down to her jean clad hips.

"Take these off, but leave tha boots." He murmured, staring into her eyes.

She swallowed hard at his heated gaze and nodded. She reached down and unbuttoned her jeans, sliding them sensuously down her hips and over the top of her boots.

Daryl moaned as he ran his palms back up her thighs and over her hips, his fingers easing between the string of her black cotton bikinis, sliding them down slowly.

"Fuck!" Daryl groaned as he gazed down at her, admiring her perfection.

Before she could protest, he spread her legs wider, baring her to his scorching gaze. He lowered his head and buried his face between her legs, lapping at her juices.

She cried out as his tongue penetrated her, his teeth raking against her clit. He moaned as he sucked at her, eating her as if he were starving. Her hands went down to his head, gripping his hair tightly as he swiped his tongue up and down her creamy wet slit.

Daryl moaned as he released her flesh with a wet slurp. "Ya taste so fuckin' good."

Carol shivered as she brought his face up to hers, his lips shiny with her essence. She devoured his lips, tasting herself on them. "I need you, Daryl." She whispered achingly against his lips.

Daryl smirked at her and nodded. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a silver foil packet, ripping it open with his teeth. Carol grabbed it from his hand and tossed it over his head.

"What the hell, woman?" He growled, arching his brow at her.

Carol smiled and shook her head. "We don't need it. I'm protected."

Daryl smiled at her slowly, realization dawning on his face. "Ya mean I can be inside ya bare?"

Carol nodded and grinned at him coquettishly as she crooked her finger at him, beckoning him closer.

Daryl needed no further persuasion. He bent down and removed his boots, not bothering to unlace them. He reached up and unbuttoned his pants, sliding his boxers down with them, kicking them to the side. He gave his erection a tug and watched her with a heavy lidded gaze.

Carol gulped as his erection swung free, thick and proud against his belly button. Her pussy throbbed in anticipation.

He grabbed her legs and pulled her further out, wrapping her legs around his waist. He ran a finger through her creamy slit, and he moaned at her velvety texture. "So fuckin' wet for me."

Carol nodded as she panted his name. "Daryl, I need you...so much." She begged.

Daryl leaned down, his chest brushing against her tits. "Hold on tight, darlin. Keep those legs wrapped around me, I want ta feel those boots." With those words, he slammed into her, both of them shouting at the sensation.

Carol screamed as her back arched up off of the dresser. He was so thick and long, filling her up completely. Never before had she been this full.

"Son of a bitch! Yer so tight!" He muttered under his breath, his face grimacing as if he were in pain.

Carol wrapped her legs tighter around his waist, and dug the heels of her boots into his ass, pulling him in deeper.

Daryl placed a hand on her hip to still her movements. He bent his head down against hers, trying to catch his breath. "Ya gotta tell me when ta move, darlin."

"Now, Daryl, move now!" She begged as she moved her hips up and down, coaxing him to thrust.

Daryl cursed and started to move, grunting as her walls clenched around his shaft, squeezing him like a vice. He lowered his head to her nipple and drew it into his mouth. His hips slamming inside her, causing her body to quiver.

"Oh my god..." She whimpered as she slid her hands up his chest.

Daryl wrapped his arms tighter around her body, pulling her flush against him, the angle causing him to go deeper. Her eyes were glazed and her body was trembling as he pounded into her harder. Daryl felt her go over the edge as her head fell back and she screamed his name, her pussy milking his cock. His breath caught as he watched her face. She was fucking beautiful.

"Daryl!"

He slid his arms higher up her back, his hand clutching at the back of her neck, pulling her tighter against him as he worked her harder. He felt a tingle shoot up his spine and his vision began to fade. He groaned her name as he emptied his hot seed deep inside her womb. They collapsed against the mirror, trying to catch their breaths.

Carol looked up at him and smiled, her heartbeat slowly returning to normal. "What brought that on? I thought you were mad at me."

Daryl smirked at her and shook his head. "Mad? Hell no." He chided huskily. "Horny is what I was. I still had ya smell on my hands from tha last time. I rode around all day with a hard on." He chuckled.

Carol giggled and covered her mouth with her hand. "Why didn't you just wash your hands?" She said pointedly.

"Wash my hands?" He asked, appearing shocked that she had asked such a thing. "That would be a fuckin' travesty, woman."

Carol giggled again and reached up to kiss him gently. "That was amazing." She whispered gently against his mouth.

Daryl felt his cock harden again, eager to bury itself in her once again. He leaned back and picked her up, her slender legs wrapping around his waist. "Hell yeah it was." He murmured as he carried her over to the queen sized bed, laying her gently down. "How about we do it again?"

Carol laughed up at him as she gently pushed his bangs from his eyes. "Sounds great! Can I take my boots off this time?"

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**Alright! How was that? Reviews are nice and lovely! Next chapter, they're going to discuss their past lives with each other. Tissue may be required lol.**


	11. The Past

**Here it is! Chapter 11. It's not the best work that I've done, but I really wanted to get this out to you all today. I work at a nursing home, which is a very demanding job, and that means I'm only able to update on the days that I am off. Anyway, on to the story! The past couple of episodes has been rough for us Carylers. Hang in there though...our day is coming! Here is how the conversation in "Still" should have gone. Damn you TPTB!**

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**The Past**

They were lying on the bed naked; Their legs intertwined, allowing the sweat they had vigorously worked up moments ago to dry upon their skin. Carol shivered as Daryl slowly ran the tips of his fingers along her rib cage, skimming the underside of her breast, and back down again. He repeated the motion over and again, causing her body to quake with longing.

The second time around had been a slow, but amazing, loving. There wasn't a spot on her body that Daryl hadn't traced or sculpted with his hands. His fingers had lovingly worshiped every dip and curve, sending waves of pleasure throughout her body. When she had reached her peak, tingles had rushed through her body, and her vision had gone blurry. All she could feel was the instant lightness her body was experiencing, and the aching throb between her legs.

Carol rest her head upon Daryl's shoulder, gently running her fingers over the muscled ridges of his stomach. She looked up at him and placed a hand upon his chest. "Did you lock the door?" She murmured softly. It occurred to her that anyone could walk in on them while they were both lying there naked as the day they were born.

Daryl was staring up at the ceiling with a small smile. "No. They know better than ta come in here though." He replied, his voice deep and gravelly.

Carol stared up at him with a lazy smile. "I hope so." She quipped. "I'd hate for Carl to bust in and see us lying here like this."

Daryl snorted as his body shook with silent laughter. "It would serve tha little shit right if'n he did. Damn kid don't listen fer shit."

Carol scoffed and smacked his shoulder. "Daryl!"

Daryl looked down at her as his laughter slowly died. He grabbed her hand and placed it over his heart. Over the years, he had heard many people say his name. However, when someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth. He would never tire of hearing her say it.

"Say it again." He softly replied.

"Say what again?" She whispered teasingly.

He wrapped his arm around her tighter, pulling her closer into his body. "My name." He replied.

Carol smiled up at him and reached for his mouth. "Daryl." She hummed softly against his lips. Her breath blew gently across his mouth as she tugged on his bottom lip with her teeth. The sensation sending a spark straight to his groin.

He groaned as he kissed her. "Fuckin' woman. Ya gonna kill my ass 'fore it's over."

Carol chuckled under her breath. "Kill you? I just plan to wear you out a bit."

Daryl growled softly as he nipped at her ear. "Congratu-fuckin-lations. You've succeeded."

"Mmmhmm..." Carol moaned as his lips trailed down her neck, causing her pulse to flutter.

Daryl raised his head up and looked at her. Her eyes were sparkling, and her face was flushed with pleasure. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have someone like her in his life.

"Ya beautiful. Ya know that?" He asked her gently.

Carol smiled sadly and shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "Only you do, Daryl."

"Don't give me that Ed Peletier bullshit. That son of a bitch didn't deserve ya. He wasn't worth the salt in ya tears." He angrily replied.

Carol looked up at him and smiled, her vision blurry with tears. How did she get so lucky with Daryl? She reached her hand up and swept back a lock of his hair that had fallen over his brow. "I'm trying to do better, honestly. It's just going to take me a bit is all."

Daryl smirked down at her. "Good. See that ya do."

"Yes sir." Carol chuckled softly.

Her eyes fell down to the old scar on his chest. She brought her hand up and delicately traced the puckered edges. It matched the ones that were strewn across the skin on his back. She realized that there were a lot of things about Daryl that she didn't know, and vice versa.

She gulped hard. "How...how did you get your scars?" She asked, afraid that she had angered him.

The smile fell from his face as he reared back, his jovial mood vanishing in an instant. He moved to sit on the side of the bed, and reached down to grab his pants. She looked at his back as he stood from the bed. The scars where a stark reminder to her that someone had done this to him. Someone had abused him, just as Ed had done to her.

He pulled his jeans up over his ass, buttoning them as he walked to the balcony doors. Carol swallowed hard before moving to follow him. She pulled the threadbare sheet from the bed and wrapped it around her body, padding softly to the doors.

Daryl was sitting on the bannister, leaning against the column, smoking a cigarette. Carol hesitated in the doorway, picking at the hemming on the frayed sheet.

"Daryl, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin everything." She whispered achingly.

He raised his face up towards the sky, blowing out stream of smoke. "Ya didn't do anything wrong. Ya just curious is all." He muttered softly.

Carol walked softly to one of the chairs and sat down. She didn't say anything, letting him have his space. She learned a long time ago that you couldn't rush Daryl. He did things on his own time. He would explain when he was ready.

He raised up the hand the was holding his cigarette, and rubbed his brow with the base of his thumb.

"Merle and I...we had a pretty shitty childhood." He slowly began. "Our pa picked our mama up in a bar that she was stripping at. She was young when they married, no more than seventeen."

He leaned his head back against the column. "They were both drunks. Hell, he had a moonshine still in our backyard. " He shook his head as he stared out over the balcony. "Tha house we lived in was no better than a shack. It wasn't fit for a fuckin' dog to tell ya the truth." He growled softly.

Carol's heart broke for him as she listened to what he had gone through as a child. She wasn't sure that she had ever heard Daryl speak this much before.

He swallowed hard before continuing. "Our mama...she wasn't much of a ma. She laid around all day drinking her wine and smoking her Virginia Slims. Never paid us much attention."

He pulled his knee back and plucked at the hole that had formed in the worn fabric of his jeans. "Hell, don't reckon I blame her much. She was trying to forget how shitty her life was. Pa liked ta beat on her ya see..."

He shook his head and flicked the cigarette over the railing. "I was about 9 when my ma died. I had been out playing with my friends that day. When I got home that evening, there were firetrucks everywhere." He stared off into the distance, his mind remembering things that it didn't want to. "She'd burned herself up, smoking in bed."

Carol gave a silent gasp and covered her mouth, her heart aching for the little boy who Daryl had once been.

"After that, he started beating on me and Merle pretty regularly." He recalled angrily, his fists clenching tightly. "Merle eventually got in trouble with the law and got himself sent to juvie...left me behind with that bastard."

Daryl got up from the balcony and started pacing. "He used ta tie me to tha tree outside and let me hang while he beat me with his belt. I hated that fucking thing. To this day tha sound of a belt buckle makes my fuckin' knees go weak." He walked over and placed his hands on the railing, staring out over the field. "We never had shit, and we learned pretty quickly not ta ask for anythin."

Daryl looked over at her and continued. "I've never eaten frozen yogurt. I've never had a pet. I never got nothin' from Santa Claus. Never relied on anyone for protection before. Hell, I never relied on anyone for anything!" He snarled as all of the memories rushed back.

Carol got up from the chair and rushed over to him, wrapping her arms around him from behind. "Stop, Daryl. I'm sorry I made you remember all of this. I'm so stupid!" She muttered angrily.

Daryl turned around in her arms, placing his hands on her forearms. "Ya wanna know what I did 'fore all of this happened?" He asked her softly.

Without waiting for her reply, he continued to speak. "I was nothin'. I was a redneck asshole with an even bigger asshole for a brother. I followed Merle around and did what he said we would be doin' for that day. That's it. I did what I was told ta do."

Carol sniffed as tears rolled down her cheeks, hating herself for making him feel pain.

"That's the kind of man ya just allowed into yer body." He growled as he dropped his hands from her arms, waiting for her response.

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**Alright, how was that? Was it okay? Anyway, Carol's turn is next. Reviews are nice, but not required.**


	12. King to my Queen

**I am so strapped for time that it isn't even funny. My job is kicking my ass right now, and on top of all that, one of my residents died yesterday. It's heartbreaking because it is so easy to become attached to them. Anyway, this isn't a very long chapter, and for that I apologize! However, I really wanted to get this out to you all today so you could at least have SOMETHING to keep you afloat. I hope you enjoy it!**

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_"That's the kind of man ya just allowed into yer body."_

Carol glared up at Daryl with an incredulous, outraged look upon her face, as those words tumbled from his lips. "What?" She asked him, as if she couldn't understand what he was telling her.

"I love ya so much that I ache inside, but If yer going ta be with me, ya have to know what yer getting." Daryl growled.

"I don't believe this." She sputtered as she stepped back from his body.

Daryl watched as she withdrew from him, his heart shriveling inside of his chest. From the looks of it, she had finally come to her senses. It was just as well, though. No self-respecting woman would want to tie herself up with a Dixon.

"You idiot!" she shouted, hardly able to believe the words that had come out of his mouth. "Do you remember whom I was married to? That's the kind of baggage that I'm carrying around! Even before Ed, my life was no fairy tale. My mother committed suicide when I was five, Daryl. She did it while I was in the next room." She angrily exclaimed

Carol looked down at her feet, pulling the tattered sheet tighter around her body. "I stayed in my room for hours...afraid to come out...afraid of what I would find. When I did muster up enough courage to come out, I found her on the couch." She whispered sadly, her throat raw with tears.

She sniffed as she reached up a hand and wiped away a tear. "After that, I was sent to foster care where I stayed until the day of my 18th birthday. The next day they dumped me out with the few belongings I had, stuffed inside of a garbage bag. I was alone for seven years. Seven long, lonely years and then Ed came along...I was desperate for love..." She broke off.

Daryl stared at her lovely, broken face, his heart aching for the way their lives had been.

Carol shook her head softly. "I have so many regrets. .." she began, as her eyes filled up with tears. "Sophia...if only I had been a better..."

"Don't!" Daryl shouted, interrupting her before she could utter the sentiment. "That sure as hell wasn't yer fault! Ya was a damn good mama! What happened to Sophia was an accident. This world...what it is now...ain't no damn place for a kid ta grow up in."

Carol smiled up at him as tears rolled down her cheeks. This man had so much faith in her. "And then you came along, Daryl." She whispered achingly. "What you did for my baby...I'll always be thankful for that."

She stepped forward and placed her palms on his cheeks, raising his eyes to hers. "You're my man of honor, Daryl Dixon. What we just did in that bedroom...it was everything to me." She murmured as she smoothed her thumbs over his cheekbones. "The past is for learning from and letting go. We can't revisit it." She whispered softly. "We have to let it go."

Daryl looked down at her and gently smiled, wrapping an arm around her waist. He raised a thumb and wiped away the tear that was escaping down her cheek. "What did I ever do ta deserve ya?" He asked her softly.

Carol giggled softly and laid her head upon his chest. She sighed as he wrapped her up in his arms. "Just lucky, I guess." She hummed contentedly.

Daryl felt as if a weight had been lifted from his chest as if it had never been. Suddenly, he felt like laughing. "I love ya so much I'm half crazy with it." He murmured. He swallowed hard before continuing. "I know we can't exactly... have a wedding with the way tha world is now and all, but would ya...what ya think about...I dunno, maybe us marrying? Ya know, just us...no one else...me and you, sayin' words between us..." He stumbled over his words.

Carol's heart stuttered to a stop. She raised her head, staring into the vivid blue of his eyes. "I love you, too. I would be proud to be by your side, Daryl, for however long we may have in this world." She murmured softly. "Besides, you need a keeper." She giggled as she snuggled in closer to his body.

Daryl buried his face in her neck, growling softly against the sensitive skin, causing her to laugh harder. "I do, do I?"

"Mmhmm." Carol nodded. "And let me tell you one thing, Daryl Dixon. If you think you're going to be jetting all over Georgia, risking your life and killing walkers while you get your adrenaline high, then you'd better think again. You're going to take me with you and you're going to teach me how to defend myself. Is that understood?" She sternly added.

Daryl smirked and nodded his head. "Understood, my queen." He murmured jokingly, secretly loving her new found feistiness.

Carol smiled up at him, softly brushing the bangs from his eyes. "I guess that makes you the king to my queen, then." She murmured against his lips as she kissed him gently.

He knew when she got like this, there was no talking her out of it. He wasn't at all crazy about the idea of her being in danger, but as long as she was with him, he would protect her at all costs. Besides, this Dixon man did whatever it took to keep his queen happy.

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**Okay, so hopefully that was okay. I promise you that the next chapter will be a nice long one. Also, Daryl and Carol will be exchanging vows privately with each other! Reviews are nice, but not required!**


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